The present invention relates to an infant care apparatus of the type that provides a support or bed for the infant as well as includes an overhead heating unit that directs infrared heat toward the infant for heating that infant.
In such infant care centers one common type of heater that is used is generally of a radiant type including one or more cylindrical heaters that are positioned above the infant. Typically, cylindrical radiant heating element consists of a resistance wire coil insulated with a compacted insulation within a metallic tubular sheath. Alternately, the cylindrical radiant heating element may consist of a resistance wire coil contained within a quartz tube. In general, these heating elements are about 18 inches long and are about 1/2 inch in diameter.
Such infant care heaters also require a reflector since the heat needs to be directed toward the infant and the cylindrical heater emits infrared radiation in a full 360 degrees around its cylindrical length, as well as from its ends. One typical reflector is a metallic reflector that encloses the upper surface of the cylindrical heating element and is formed as an elongated reflector having its lateral cross section in the shape of a parabola to direct the radiation downwardly toward the infant. Such reflectors are cumbersome, and need considerable support in order to be retained in a sturdy position above the infant. Also, in the case where the heating element includes a quartz tube as the envelope, that quartz protective tube surrounding the resistance wire also requires protection to prevent breakage since, obviously, the breakage of the quartz envelope could cause harm to the patient or surrounding personnel.
One of the other deficiencies of such current heaters is, however, the very physical size of an elongated shaped heater that takes up considerable space directly over the infant. Obviously, since one of the advantages of an infant warmer is to be able to perform functions on the infant while positioned on the infant care apparatus, the presence of an elongated heater is a inconvenience and interferes with the administration of such procedures on the infant. Thus, the present heating units are relatively cumbersome and large and tend to be positioned at a focus point that directly interferes with the vision of the personnel attending to the infant or create a physical obstruction to such personnel.
Accordingly, the present heater units are generally difficult to work around and, at times, must be moved out of the way when personnel are attending to the infant such as when X-rays are being taken of the infant. In all, the long, cylindrical heating elements with their elongated reflectors create considerable inconvenience to the personnel attending to an infant.
An infant warming apparatus has been disclosed that does position the heater out of the way of the attending personnel, that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,517 to Falk et al, however, that Falk et al heater utilizes a special infrared emitter in order to carry out its operation. In addition, as noted in the Falk et al patent there is no reflector even required in order to provide the heat to the infant and thus Falk et al did not consider any particular shape of reflector in the apparatus.
It would be preferred to use a normal infrared emitter with a reflector located out of the way of normal access to the infant, however, with an infant warmer, it is very important that by relocating the heater to a differing location, not directly over the infant, that the overall heat provided to the infant not become non-uniform.
Obviously, it is important in the warming of an infant that the pattern of the heat directed on to the infant be uniform so that the infant is not being warmed excessively in one body location while realizing insufficient warmth in another body location. That is, while it is an advantage to relocate the heater to a position not directly over the infant, such a location has been difficult to achieve in infant care apparatus due to the need to have a uniform heat pattern on a planar surface underlying the infant and it has been thought that the off center location of an infant heater would prevent the obtaining of uniformity in the heat to the infant.